Another European city protests over tourism!
Amsterdam has become the latest European city to hold protests against over tourism, following a demonstration against “unlivable” conditions on Saturday, December 21.
Amsterdam has become the latest European city to hold protests against over tourism, following a demonstration against “unlivable” conditions on Saturday, December 21.
The demonstration by locals on Leidseplein took place symbolically in front of the controversial new Diamond hotel.
The Diamond, which once housed the corner’s iconic Heineken Hoek café, has a modern facade that many residents find unappealing.
The Times reported that Dingeman Coumou, organiser of the “Het is Genoeg” campaign, described the Diamond as “another one of those terrible hotels that attract even more tourists and look awful.”
This year, Amsterdam has imposed restrictions on how tourists can enter and stay in the city, aiming to limit overnight stays to just 20 million tourists a year.
But the number of tourists visiting the canal city’s tulip gardens and famous Red Light District shows no signs of slowing down. Amsterdam is set to host around 22 million stays in 2023, 2 million more than the proposed limit.
Coumou said tourism, which “overflows the city”, was now devastating to the lives of locals in Amsterdam.
It’s causing our children to no longer live in the city due to high property prices, creating a monoculture, but most importantly, the centre of Amsterdam is becoming uninhabitable due to the crowds.
Former city councillor Frits Huffnagel, who was responsible for economic affairs, had the slogan “I Amsterdam”, which was written in capital letters outside the Rijksmuseum until 2018, displayed throughout the city.
“You shouldn’t say ‘come and pee and puke in my city’. You should take action against these people,” he said.
The Dutch capital has taken measures to reduce crowds in 2023, including a tourist tax hike, a “Stay Away” campaign and an “Amsterdam Rules” quiz to deter rude British visitors. Amsterdam also announced in April that it was limiting the number of riverboats that could enter its waterways and plans to curb the number of visitors staying overnight by banning the construction of new hotels.